Bonus play machine

Abstract

A coin operated music machine which permits persons purchasing musical selections on the machine the opportunity of making additional selections over and above the amount of records and playing time to which he would be entitled by the deposit of coins into the machine. After the initial coin has been deposited into the machine, the player is offered the opportunity to make an additional coin deposit for which he may receive additional plays in addition to those purchased by the two coins. The right to receive the "Bonus Play" will be indicated on the machine but the player need not exercise the right to such play and can reject it by merely selecting the recordings which have been purchased by the deposit of the first coin. If the player decides to utilize the "Bonus Play" he will always receive the normal number of selections for the second coin but may additionally receive extra plays above the normal number of selections for a coin.

We claim as our invention: 
     
       1. A bonus play arrangement for a currency operated machine including: a currency receiving switch actuated by currency deposited in said machine;   a credit circuit connected to said currency receiving switch and giving a fixed credit when the deposit of a first fixed currency amount is made;   a random event generator controlled by deposit of currency in said currency receiving switch and having a plurality of output conditions;   a bonus indicator connected to said random event generator to indicate a bonus condition upon the deposit of a first fixed currency amount; and   enabling means connecting said credit circuit to said random generator upon the deposit of a second fixed currency amount to give a fixed credit that can not be lost plus bonus credit if the random event generator is in a bonus credit condition, said bonus credit being given in addition to the accumulated fixed credit that has been purchased by said first and second fixed currency amounts.   
     
     
       2. A bonus play machine according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of output conditions of said random event generator include no bonus and bonus conditions. 
     
     
       3. A bonus play machine according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of ouput conditions of said random event generator include a plurality of bonus conditions such as zero and n, where n is an integer. 
     
     
       4. A bonus play machine according to claim 1 wherein said enabling means is energized when said coin switch is energized successively by the deposit of n times said fixed currency amount where n is an integer. 
     
     
       5. A bonus play machine according to claim 4 including a selector switch connected to said enabling means and preventing bonus credit when said selector switch is actuated after the deposit of a single fixed currency amount. 
     
     
       6. A bonus play machine according to claim 5 including a bonus feature indicator connected to said coin actuated switch to indicate bonus feature condition. 
     
     
       7. A bonus play arrangement for a currency operated machine including: a currency receiving switch actuated by currency deposited in said machine;   a credit circuit connected to said currency receiving switch and giving a fixed credit upon the deposit of a first fixed currency amount;   a random event generator controlled by the deposit of currency in said currency receiving switch and having a plurality of output conditions; said plurality of output conditions of said random event generator including no bonus and bonus conditions;   said plurality of output conditions of said random event generator further including a plurality of bonus conditions such as zero and n, where n is an integer;     a bonus indicator connected to said random event generator to indicate a bonus condition upon the deposit of a first fixed currency amount;   enabling means connecting said credit circuit to said random generator upon the deposit of a second fixed currency amount to give bonus credit if the random event generator is in the bonus condition;   a clock;   a first gate between said random generator and said clock; and   said currency receiving switch coupled to said first gate to stop said random event generator in one of its plurality of output conditions when said first fixed currency amount is deposited.   
     
     
       8. A bonus play machine according to claim 7 wherein said enabling means includes a second gate with its output connected to said credit circuit and receiving an output from said random event generator to provide bonus credit corresponding to the output condition of said random event generator. 
     
     
       9. A bonus play machine according to claim 8 including a switch which is actuated when selections are made and connected to said enabling means to prevent bonus credit after a selection has been made until zero credit condition exists. 
     
     
       10. A bonus play machine according to claim 8 wherein said enabling means includes a second clock connected to said second gate. 
     
     
       11. A bonus play machine according to claim 10 including a frequency doubler means connected between said second gate and said credit circuit. 
     
     
       12. A bonus play machine according to claim 11 including a second scaler circuit comprising a pair of flip-flops capable of at least three output conditions, third, fourth and fifth gates connected to the random event scaler and the second scaler circuit and a plurality of indicators respectively connected to the outputs of said third, fourth and fifth gates.